Animated picture lamp



Jan. 16, 1951 R. vY. ALLEN ANIMATD PICTURE LAMP Filed Feb. 6, 1946 'HIIIIIIT=== 'O I v 11 .4.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 iitert 'Yz Allen, fiemq, cam es;

Ii i'S eiior :f int" Vi'f'e .a lmp'. ani de Structure. use es ,an amusemenv 'ofv display dev nally mounted for rotation therewith, projecting i upwardly as best seen in Fig. 4. A drum shaped shade 19 for the lamp constructed from opaque material is supported by a hollow central hub |1 to which are fixed three outwardly projecting spokes la attached to the shade |9 at its upper rim.

As can be best seen in Fig. 4, the hub I'l is `adapted to fit relatively loosely over the shaft |6 and rest on the armature |5. Thus it will be seen that as the motor M rotates, the shade IS is rotated thereby due to the frictional engagement of the hub IT with the armature 15, the shaft IG serving to center the shade with the motor. The

shade mounting just described is such that the shade 19 normally hangs in the Vertical position shown in Fig. 1, but if forcibly tilted may rock up on the lower edge of the hub ll, the relatively loose fit of the hub and the shaft being such that the shaft is not liable to be bent by such rocking action.

The zoetrope portion of the device is formed in the shade [9 near its lower edge and comprises a series of evenly spaced and relatively narrow slits 20 parallel to the cylindrical axisV and arranged in a band around the shade IS; and a series of animated cartoon pictures schematically -designated by the letters A, B, C, etc. imprinted on the interior surface of the shade |9, each picture falling between two successive slits 20 in the area designated generally by the numeral 2| in Fig. 3. o

An incandescent light bulb for the purpose of lighting the cartoon pictures and also for the purpose of providing general illumination is held in a conventional socket 21 fixed to the columnar support ll by means of a collar 26. Current for the light bulb 28 and for the motor |4 is provided through a pair of leads 30 which are led through the columnar support member H which is made hollow for that purpose. Leads 29 from the motor are connected in parallel with leads for thelight bulb 28 and the current supplied to both the motor 14 and the light bulb 28 is conw trolled by a switch (not shown) operated by a conventional pull chain 3|.

It will be seen that a lamp constructed as just described serves to provide general illumination in the conventional manner, light rays from the bulb 28 being directed downwardly and upwardly by the shade |9. It will also be seen that the light bulb 28 serves the additional purpose of furnishing relatively intense illumination for the cartoon pictures l i When the shade rotates clockwise, that is, in the direction of the arrows shown in Fg. 2, the cartoon pictures pass from left to right across the ba .z of the shade 59 and are scanned by the moving slits 20 which move from right to left across the front of the shade. Thus it will be seen that since the relative intensity of the light striking the cartoon pictures is very much greater than that striking the outside of the shade 19, the motion of the slits 20 lwill not be noticeable 4 against the relatively brilliant picture image. With this type of illumination, it is possible to view the animated picture from a point relatively clistant from the lamp at which point the definition is greatly improved overthat which is obtained when the eye is in close proximity to the slits 20.

One modification of my invention particularly adaptable to the device shown in Fig; 1 contemplates printing the animated cartoon pictures with luminous ink or paint. In this manner, luminous animated cartoons are produced which are visible after the light has been extinguished. It is desirable for this purpose to include a separate switch in order to extinguish the light without stopping the motor. A zoetrope operating on this principle is particularly effective in that the scanning slits are completely .invisible, the only visible motion after extinguishing the light being the motion of the cartoon itself.

Both of the embodiments illustrated and described herein are intended as lamps for nurseries and childrerrs playrooms. With the object of making these lamps more attractive to children, the motif expressed by the reclining figure |2 is repeated in the subject matter of the cartoon sequence. For example, the reclining figure |2 shown in Fig. 1 is decorated to represent the nursery rhyme character Little Boy Blue and to carry out this motif, the cartoon sequence may represent f'the sheep in the meadow or the cow in the corn." Many other adaptations and modificati'ons will of course occur to those skilled in the art.

While the apparatus described and illustrated herein is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is merely illustrative of the broad scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a display lamp, the combination of: 'a'

base; a Vertical standard fixed to said base and projecting upwardly therefrom; a horizontal member projecting laterally from said standard adjacent the upper end thereof; motor means having a Vertical upwardly extending axle thereon and mounted on said horizontal member; 'a tubular shade of substantially opaque material having spokes adjacent an upper edge thereof and being secured by said spokes to the axle of said motor means whereby to rotate about a vertical axis; a plurality of Vertical scanning slits formed in said shade adjacent the lower edge thereof, said slits being arranged in a circumferential band adjacent the lower edge of said shade; a plurality of pictures imprinted on the interior surface of said shade, one between each adjacent pair of saidslits, said pictures being adapted by progressive change in position of objects therein to produce the illusion of motion when viewed stroboscopically through said slits when said shade is rotated; and an electric light supported on said standard below said horizontal member, said light being positioned above the plane dened by said circumferential band "of slits whereby to provide relatively intense illuniination for said pictures as compared to the exterior surface of said shade, and whereby said pictures may be stroboscopically Viewed without substantial distraction by the motion of said shade.

2. In a display lamp, the4 combination of z a base; a Vertical standard fixed to said base and projecting upwardly therefrom; laterally extend- 'ing support means fixed to said standard adjacent the upper end thereof; motor means having an upwardly extending axleV andrmounted on said support means; a tubular shade of substantially opaque material having means adjacent an upper edge thereof for mounting it on said motor axle whereby to rotate about a Vertical axis; a plurality of Vertical scanning slits formed in said shade adjacent the lower edge thereof, and arranged in a circumferential band adjacent said edge; a plurality of pictures on the interior surface of said shade, one between each adjacent pair of said slits, said pictures being adapted by progressive change in position of objects therein to produce the illusion of motion when Viewed stroboscopically through said slits when, said shade is rotated; and an electric light supported on said standard below said horizontal member, said light being positioned above the plane defined by said circumferential band of slits to thereby provide relatively intense illumination for said pictures as compared to the exterior surface of said shade, whereby said pictures may be stroboscopically Viewed without distraction by the mc-tion of said shade.

3. In a display lamp, the combination'of: a base; a standard fixed to said base and projecting upwardly therefrom; a horizontal member projecting laterally from said standard adjacent the upper end thereof; motor means having a Vertical upwardly extending axle thereon and mounted on said horizontal member; a tubular shade of substantially opaque material having spokes adjacent an upper edge thereof and being secured by said spokes to the axle of said motor means whereby to rotateabout a Vertical axis; a plurality of Vertical scanning slits formed in said shade, said slits being arranged in a circumferential band adjacent an edge of said shade; a plurality of pictures on the interior surface of said shade, one between each adjacent pair of said slits, saidV pictures being adapted by progressive change in position of objects therein to produce the illusion of motion when Viewed stroboscopically through said slits when said shade is rotated; and an electric light supported on said standard, said light being positioned within said shade intermediate its upper and lower edges and displaced vertically from the plane defined by said circumferential band of slits to thereby provide relatively intense illumination for said pictures as compared to the exterior surface of said shade, whereby said pictures may be stroboscopically Viewed without substantial distraction by the motion of said shade.

4. In a display lamp, the combination of: a base; a standard projecting upwardly from said base; laterally extending support means fixed to said standard adjacent the upper end thereof; motor means having an upwardly extending axle and mounted on said support means; a tubular shade of substantially opaque material having means thereon for mounting it on said motor axle whereby to rotate about a Vertical axis; a plurality of Vertical scanning slits formed in said shade and arranged in a circumferentialv band adjacent an edge thereof; a plurality of pictures on the interior surfacev of saidshade, one between each adjacent pair of said slits, said pictures being adapted by progresive change in position of objects therein to produce the illusion of motion when viewed stroboscopically through said slits when said shade is rotated; and an electric light supported by said standard within said shade intermediate its upperr and lower edges and displaced` vertically from the plane defined by said circumferential band of slits to thereby provide relatively intense illumination for said pictures as compared to the exterior surface of said shade, whereby said pictures may be stroboscopically Viewed without substantial distraction by the motion of said shade.

5. In a display lamp, the combination of: a base; a standard projecting upwardly from said base; support means on said standard adjacent the upper end thereof; motor means mounted by said support means; a tubular shade of relatively opaque material; means forV rotatably mounting said shade about a Vertical axis and operatiVely connecting the sam-e to said motor means for rotation thereby; a plurality of Vertical scanning slits formed in said shade, said slits being arranged inl a circumferential band adjacent an edge of said shade; a plurality of pictures on the interior surface of said shade, one between each adjacent pair of said slits, said pictures being adapted by progressive change in position of objects therein to produce an illusion of motio-n when Viewed stroboscopically through said slits when said shade is rotated; and an electric light positioned within said shade intermediate its upper and lower edges and displaced vertically from the plane defined by said circumferential band of slits to thereby provide relatively intense illumination for said pictures as compared to the exterior surface of said shade, Whereby said pictures may be stroboscopically Viewed without substantial distractio-n by the I motion of said shade.

ROBERT Y. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 64,117 Lincoln Apr. 23, 1867 267.284 Trotter Nov. 7, 1882 547,775 Farnum Oct. 15, 1895 726,371 Sutton Apr. 28, 1903 1,014,365 Bourgin Jan. 9, 1912 1,724,572 Geisen Aug. 13, 1929 1,728,731 Hayes Sept. 17, 1929 1,865,758 Horton July 5, 1932 1,964,591 Nanfeldt June 26, 1934 2,279,241 Musaphia Apr. 7, 1942 2,302,645 Switzer et al. Nov. 17, 1942 2,374,371 Morch Apr. 24, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 629 Great Britain Of 1867 26,084 Germany Feb. 23, 1884 73,033 Germany Jan. 11, 1894 524,346 France Sept. 1, 1921 OTHER REF'ERENCES Luminescence by Pringsheim et al., page 138, 

